Starter for internal-combustion engines.



F. G. McKLVEEN & L. W. NAYLOR. STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLIUATIDN FILED JAN. 30, 1911.

1,017,681. Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

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" Jlljjmiillllll F. G. MUKLVEEN & L. W.- NAYLOR. STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1911.

1 ,01 7, 3 1 Patented Feb. 20', 1912.

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GHQ mam LESLIE W. NAYLOR, OF DENVER,'COLORADO; SAID NAYLQR imam: G. MQKLVEEN AND ASSIGNOR TO SAID MCKLVEEN.

- STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912'.

Application filed January 30,1911. Serial No. 605,642.

To all'whom it may concern: I

' Be it known that we, Fnaxn .G. Mc- KLVEEN and LESLIE V. NArLon, citizens of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starters for Internal-Comustion Engines; and we do declare the following to be a f ull clear,'aiidexact description of the invention, such 'as will enable others 'skilled in the art to which it zippertains' to make and use the same, reference starters for internal combustion engines,

being more especially adapted for -use in connectionwith the engines employed in running automobiles or horseless vehicles.

In our improved construction we employ a flexible device, as a chain, connected at one extremity with a sprocket wheel mount- .engages a ed on a shafthaving a gearing connection with a rock shaft, the latter being'equipped with a crank arm and a lever, the-latter being easily accessible. The chain employed drum mounted on the engine shaft and either directly connected therewith .or connected therewith through the medium of a clutch device, .as pawls carried by the drum and engaging aratchet fast on the engine shaft.

An important feature of our improved construction consists in the fact. that the central portion of the wheel or drum is equipped with ratchet teeth, while the periphery of the drum on opposite sides'of these teeth is perfectly-smooth. The chain is equipped with a section large enough to pass around the drum, whosecentral portion is devoid of links, 01' blank, the lmks of the chain occupying the portion of the drum devoid of teeth on opposite sides of the ratchet zone. The normal position of the chain is such that the blankcentralportion of the chain is in engagement with the drum when the engine is running. When it stops, hdwever, and it is desired to start the engine, a relatively short movement of the crank arm, will actuate the chain suiticiently to N having theblank central port-1on to leave the drum, while the portion of'the chain cause the. portion of the chain adapted to engage the sprocket teeth 'of the drum will be brought into operative relat on therewith, whereby the drum is rotated and the engine shaft actuated for starting purposes. After the engine is started, a spring with which one extremity of the chain is connected. returns the chain to its normal position. bringing the portion of the chain having the blank central portion into position to surround the drum and allow ing the latter, if necessary, to rotate freely with the engine shaft, since the sprocket teeth of the drum protrude through the central blank portion of the chain.

Having briefly outlined our improved construction, we will proceed Pt'o describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanfing drawing in which is illustrated an enbodiment thereof.

In this drawing: Figurel is an-cnlarged side elevation of one form of sprocket drum, the casing being'broken away on one side to disclose the ratchet pawl construction, the parts' being shown on a larger scale. 'Fig. 2 is'ian un'derneatli i fiew (if the construction shown in Fig. 1, or a view looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 .is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. at is a section, taken through the sprocket drum, on the line 55of Fig. 1. the starter mechanism, the parts Y being shown on a larger scale, and the casing of the vehicle being sectionized to better disclose the mechanism. F ig. 6 is a view looking in the direction 'of arrow 7 Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section, taken through a modified form of sprocket drum. Fig. 8 is a section taken on the-line 9-9 01 Fig. 7

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

'drur'r'fbnopposite sides of the teeth being plain as shown at 13. .This drum is enaged bya chain 14:, one extremity of which s secured to a spring 15 made-fast to the framework of the vehicle as shown at 16.

Fig. 5 is a side view of:

From the spring 15 the chain passes around the sprocket drum 10, and passes thence to a guide 8 rocket 1 7 journaled in the framework the vehicle as shown at 18, its axis bein inclined to the horizontal to harmonize with the inclination of the chain as it passes upwardly from the sprocket drum on the engine shaft. This chain passes thence rearwardly to a sprocket trally-located blank space 30, this space be inglocated between chain members 31, the said members 31 bein adapted to 'en age the spaces 32 of the periphery of the. rum 10.

This double section of the chainwith a centrally located space extends from a point H to a point K of the'chain (see Fig. I),

being suificient in length to pass around the sprocket drum, whereby the latter may turn independently of the chain, since the teeth of the drum are free to 'r'otatein the space '30 between the members 31 of the double chain section 29. In order to ermit the chain to engage the guide sproc et717 for the purpose of passing around the corner of the framework, the chain is provided with a swivel 'joint 33. In order that the chain may always stop in. the right position when returned to its normal position under the influence of the spring 15, a guide bracket 34 is employed, the chain being equipped with a stop 35 adapted to arrest the reverse movement of the chain underthe influence of the spring 15 just intime to cause the section 29 of the chain to engage the plain portion of, the s'rocket drum on o posite sides of the sproe et teeth, thusallowing the drum to turn freely during the reverse movement of the engine shaft or during either the forward or.ba,ckward movement thereof, when the sprocket wheel 36 is fast upon the engine shaft (see'Figs. 7 and 8). In these views the sprocket wheel has a relatively long hub 39 which is secured to the engine shaft by a key 40. Mounted on this hub and located on opposite sides of the "body of the wheel 36 are two disks 41 which are loose onthe hub 39, their peripheries being adapted to be engaged by thevmem" bers 31 of the'chain section 29. This is the normal position of the chain when, the engine is running, and in this event the disks 41 will remain stationary with the chain while the sprocket wheel and its hub to;

tate. The disks 41 are provided with flanges 42 to prevent the chain from slipping later-' ally therefrom when in use.

In the foregoing construction the intermediate double chain section 29 is substantially the same as heretofore described, but a cablesection 37 is employed and adapted to pass around a guide pulley which would take the place of the sprocket 17 where the chain is employed. By employing a cable section, the necessity for making a swivel joint in the phain is overcome.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of our im roved en 'ne starter will be readily un erstood. he driver of the vehicle when sitting in the seat (not shown), is so situated that he can press his foot upon the extremity 28 of the lever arm v25, whereby a short movement of the crank arm 24 on the shaft 23 will through the instrumentality of the gearing connection between the shafts 23 and20, im-' part sufficient movement to the chain 14 to give the engine shaft severalturns, or suflicient movement to setit in motion. During this operation the blank section 29 of the chain moves away from the drum, while the body portion of the chain having parts adapted to engage-the sprocket teeth of the drum is moved into engagement therewith, actuating the drum in the direction indicated; by thearrow in Fig. 1, and rotatin the shaft in the same direction by virtue o the ratchet and pawl connection between the drum and the engine. shaft. IAs soon as the engine is started, the shaft with its ratchet disk moves freely within the s rocket drum without Iturning the latter; the meantime, or as soon as the pressure acting upon the crank arm \24 ceases to act, the

spring 15, which has been laced under tensionby the movement of t e chain incident to the starting of the engine, will return the chain to its normal position, whereby the section 29 having the blank space to receive the sprocket wheel of the drum will 'be caused to engage the-latter. In this event the sprocket drum fast on the engineshaft may be employed, since the drum may rotate 4 freely due to the fact that the teethof the drum engage the space 30 between the two chain mem ers.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 a sprmg 38 is connected with the outer extremity of, the crank; arm 24, whereby the.

latter together with the foot member 25 are supported in, their normal position, thus overcoming any tendency to move by'gravity. I. 4 7

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1 '1. The combination with an engine shaft,

-of a wheelmounted thereon and connected in operativerelation therewith, a. device for operating the-same,'a spring'ccnnected with .starting purposes, substantially as de- 2. The combination with an. engine shaft, of a .wheel connected in o erative frela'tion therewith and having a re atively wide periphe'ry, a row of teeth formed on said perifphery, a toothless space on the periphery 0 ing shaft, a device forming a connection between the operating shaft andlsaid wheel,-

the wheel adjacent the teeth, an operata spring attached to one extremity of saiddevice, the latter having a section normally held in engagement with thewheel by the sprin said section having a space correspon ing in location with the-teeth on the wheel, to allow the wheel to turn without moving the device, the said device beyond its inactive section and in line with the space being constructed to engage the teeth to o crate the wheel, and means for actuating the operating shaft to bring the said device into operative relation with the wheel on the said shaft, for the pur ose set forth.

In testimony wi-iereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses FRANK G. MCKLVEEN. LESLIE W. NAYLOR.

Witnesses:

A. J. OBRIEN, A. EBER'I' OBnmn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, Ivy-addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. 0. 

